“I made your father. He did not make me. You have lost your sense in the security office. What would such power do for us when the man’s mind has already grown fat from the flattery of others?”
Lila nodded, realizing her mother wished to bend yet another fresh, young senator to her will, rather than capitalize on the divergent attentions of an established figure. The thought annoyed her. She’d rather not be beholden to anyone, and didn’t want anyone beholden to her. At least, that had been her plan for a little while longer, at least. It hadn’t struck her until then how terribly naïve that idea had been.
She’d been around Tristan too long.
“Senator Serrano has already produced three prime heirs already, though the first was practically among the lowborn. The mother was wealthy enough to prompt his nomination into the New Bristol Senate. The second pushed him to Saxony.”
“Why hasn’t he been nominated to Unity?” Lila asked.
“He has, but it’s never been accepted. There are always better candidates to choose from. Senator Serrano doesn’t have the tongue or the brains to back up his ambitions. What he possesses in charisma, he lacks in wit and intelligence. His speeches ramble, his legislation is full of unintended loopholes, and his alliances lack the necessary linchpins. He’s a fool who doesn’t understand when he’s being led. He’ll never make prime minister unless he gains some sense, and I suspect he has grown too proud to recognize his deficiencies and correct them. But if he bears another prime, they’ll have no choice but to advance him, politics being what they are. He’ll seek you out before the night is through, mark my words.”
“Great. Can’t wait.”
“We’d be better served with a younger, smarter, more ambitious sort, which is why we should pay attention to whom approaches Senator Serrano. If we smooth a young senator’s path to prime minister, he would have no choice but to favor Wolf Industries above all his other ties.”
“Just like Father because of me and Shiloh?”
“You pushed him into Saxony. Your memory, as well as a few others, pushed him into Unity. Senators in my good graces helped nominate him again and again to prime minister, though your father likely had the potential to get there on his own. But a great many men have potential, and few have the connections to realize it.”
“You would rather I selected someone ambitious enough to be useful.”
The chairwoman shrugged and eyed Senator Serrano’s assets.
“And here I thought that I could choose whomever I wanted. I do have to share a bed with the man for the next few months, Mother.”
“Of course. Choose whomever you wish, but don’t play coy with me. You like the game as much as I do, much more than the faces upon the players. You’ll be annoyed with yourself later if your opening move is not a strong one. Take Senator Serrano to bed this season if you wish. I’ve heard he’s a jovial sort. We can always find a more ambitious and interesting senator for next season. Let’s just hope that if you are lucky enough to produce an heir, she does not inherent her father’s intelligence. Or better yet, that the child is only a boy who you can send to Bullstow.”
Lila plucked a fresh glass of champagne off a tray and refrained from comment. She had not wanted Serrano; she merely wanted to disagree with her mother.
Her palm shook in her purse. I shouldn’t have been meddling, her father wrote, though I’m sure your mother is doing the same. Don’t pick who we want. Pick who you want. Be happy, Lila girl.
Lila smiled and put her palm away.
“Who was that?”
“No one.”
The chairwoman eyed her daughter’s face, then turned back to the crowd. “The one in the middle who just shook the senator’s hand is Senator Jasper Coupe.”
Lila looked again at the senator and noticed quite a different sort of man on his right. His dark hair had been shaved close to his head, a style rare among the highborn, and his thick eyebrows showed off his brown eyes to good advantage. His coat had been cut tightly, and his face was young, daring, and angelic, so long as the angel had already fallen.
Lila sat up.
That was much more like it.
“Senator Coupe has seeded two heirs among the wealthy lowborn already, which has cleared his path to an advantageous placement next season. He’s only twenty-one, and—”
“Twenty-one?” All thoughts of the young man
flew from Lila’s mind and other parts of her body. The age disparity was practically criminal. “What sort of conversation could we have, Mother? Perhaps he could braid my hair and we could talk about ponies.”
“You’re not picking a conversation partner, Lila.”
“No, just someone to rut with all evening.”
“Evening. Night. That one will stay up long after the job is done. Over and over…”
Lila choked on her champagne. “Excuse me?”